1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tubular handling apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to the delivery of a tubular to and from a wellhead. More particularly, the present invention relates to the delivery of the tubular to and from a wellhead without the use of an oil derrick.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.
Drill rigs have utilized several methods for transferring tubular members from a tubular rack adjacent to the drill floor to a mousehole in the drill floor or the wellbore for connection to a previously transferred tubular. The term “tubular” as used herein includes all forms of drill tubulars, drill collars, pipes, casing, liner, bottom hole assemblies (BHA), and other types of tubulars known in the art.
Conventionally, drill rigs have utilized a combination of the rig cranes and the traveling system for transferring a tubular from the tubular rack to a vertical position above the center of the well. The obvious disadvantage with the prior art systems is that there is a significant manual involvement in attaching the tubular elevators to the tubular and moving the tubular from the drill rack to the rotary table. This manual transfer operation in the vicinity of workers is potentially dangerous and has caused numerous injuries in drilling operations. Further, the hoisting system may allow the tubular to come into contact with the catwalk or other portions of the rig as the tubular is transferred from the tubular rack to the drill floor. This can damage the tubular and may affect the integrity of the connections between successive tubulars in the well.
One method of transferring a tubular from the rack to the well platform comprises tying one end of a line on the rig around a selected tubular on the tubular rack. The tubular is thereafter lifted up onto the platform and the lower end thereof is placed into the mousehole. The mousehole is simply an upright, elongate cylindrical container adjacent the rotary table which supports the tubular temporally. When it is necessary to add the tubular to the drill string, slips are secured about the drill string on the rotary table thereby supporting the same in the wellbore. The tubular is disconnected from the traveling equipment and the elevators, or the kelly, are connected to the tubular in the mousehole. Next, the traveling block is raised thereby positioning the tubular over the drill string and tongs are used to secure the tubular to the upper end of the drill string. The drill tubular elevators suspend the drill tubular from a collar which is formed around one end of the tubular and do not clamp the tubular thereby permitting rotational tubular movement in order to threadably engage the same to the drill string.
A prior art technique for moving joints of casing from racks adjacent to the drilling rig comprises tying a line from the rig onto one end of a selected casing joint on the rack. The line is raised by lifting the casing joint up a ramp leading to the rig platform. As the rope lifts the casing from the rack, the lower end of the casing swings across the platform in a dangerous manner. The danger increases when a floating system is used in connection with drilling. Since the rope is tied around the casing at one end thereof, the casing does not hang vertically, but rather tilts somewhat. A man working on a platform elevated above the rig floor must hold the top of the casing and straighten it out while the casing is threaded into the casing string which is suspended in the wellbore by slips positioned on the rotary table.
It would be desirable to be able to grip a casing or a tubular positioned on a rack adjacent a drilling well, move the same into vertical orientation over the wellbore, and thereafter lower the same onto the string suspended in the wellbore.
In the past, various devices have been created which mechanically move a tubular from a horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation such that the vertically oriented tubular can be installed into the wellbore. Typically, these devices have utilized several interconnected arms that are associated with a main rotating structural member. In order to move the tubular, a succession of individual movements of the levers, arms, and other components of the boom must be performed in a coordinated manner in order to achieve the desired result. Typically, a wide variety of hydraulic actuators are connected to each of the components so as to carry out the prescribed movement. A complex control mechanism is connected to each of these actuators so as to achieve the desired movement. Advanced programming is required of the controller in order to properly coordinate the movements in order to achieve this desired result.
Unfortunately, with such systems, the hydraulic actuators, along with other components, can become worn with time. Furthermore, the hydraulic integrity of each of the actuators can become compromised over time. As such, small variations in each of the actuators can occur. These variations, as they occur, can make the complex mechanism rather inaccurate. The failure of one hydraulic component can exacerbate the problems associated with the alignment of the tubular in a vertical orientation. Adjustments of the programming are often necessary so as to continue to achieve the desired results. Fundamentally, the more hydraulic actuators that are incorporated into such a system, the more likely it is to have errors, inaccuracies, and deviations in the desired delivery profile of the tubular. Typically, very experienced and knowledgeable operators are required so as to carry out this tubular movement operation. This adds significantly to the cost associated with tubular delivery. A tubular can be a casing, a tubular, or any other tubular structure associated with the oil and gas production.
A typical oil well has an oil derrick centered over the wellhead. An oil derrick is a specific type of derrick that is used over oil and gas wells and other drilled holes. The oil derrick is used to position tubulars over the wellhead for insertion and removal therefrom. Oil derricks are typically structures of a steel framework that are immobile. A typical oil derrick has a number of complex machines designed specifically to perform a specific function for delivering and removing tubulars to and from the wellhead, in addition to having machinery for drilling the well and producing the oil and/or gas. An oil derrick can also control the weight of a drill bit. Each type of drill bit has an optimum pressure at which it should be pushed through the earth for drilling a well. An oil derrick can be used to control this pressure. An oil derrick can include a boom so as to deliver equipment to and from the wellhead using the structure of the oil derrick as support. Oil derricks are most advantageous for oil wells that have a long life expectancy for producing oil. However, large deposits of oil are becoming increasingly rare, and permanent oil derricks of the past are sometimes not suitable for modern oil wells. Typical oil derricks require a large number of experienced workers to operate the machines and equipment associated with the derrick. Workers commonly associated with oil derricks are geologists, engineers, mechanics, and safety inspectors.
An oil derrick has to be assembled on-site at the well location. This requires materials to be delivered from the manufacturing plant to the location of the well so as to construct the derrick. Thus, certain costs are associated with the manufacturing, delivery, and construction of oil and gas derricks for a well. In addition to these costs, the cost of tearing down the oil well and removing it from the well site adds to the overall costs of oil and gas production. Because the costs of using an oil and gas derrick can be extremely large, there is a need for a way to deliver tubulars to and from a wellhead without the use of a derrick.
Another problem associated with the insertion and removal of tubulars that make up part of a string of tubulars in a wellbore is that the tubulars can slip into the well bore if not held at the surface. Tubulars can fall deep within the wellbore, and the cost of recovery of the tubular can be quite expensive. Moreover, a tubular that falls in the wellbore can become stuck within the wellbore. Thus, there is a need to keep the upper end of the tubular from falling into the depths of the wellbore while tubulars are delivered to and from the tubular for insertion and removal of tubulars at the wellhead.
In the past, various patents have issued relating to such tubular handling devices. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,177,944, issued on Apr. 13, 1965 to R. N. Knight, describes a racking mechanism for earth boring equipment that provides for horizontal storage of pipe lengths on one side of and clear of the derrick. This is achieved by means of a transport arm which is pivoted toward the base of the derrick for swing movement in a vertical plane. The outer end of the arm works between a substantially vertical position in which it can accept a pipe length from, or deliver a pipe length to, a station in the derrick, and a substantially horizontal portion in which the arm can deliver a pipe length to, or accept a pipe length from, a station associated with storage means on one side of the derrick.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,464,507, issued on Sep. 2, 1969 to E. L. Alexander et al., teaches a portable rotary pipe handling system. This system includes a mast pivotally mounted and movable between a reclining transport position to a desired position at the site drilling operations which may be at any angle up to vertical. The mast has guides for a traveling mechanism that includes a block movable up and down the mast through operation of cables reeved from the traveling block over crown block pulleys into a drawwork. A power drill drive is carried by the traveling block. An elevator for drill pipe is carried by arm swingably mounted relative to the power unit. Power tongs, slips, and slip bushings are supported adjacent the lower end of the mast and adapted to have a drill pipe extend therethrough from a drive bushing connected to a power drive whereby the drill pipe is extended in the direction of the hole to be drilled.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,633,771, issued on Jan. 11, 1972 to Woolslayer et al., discloses an apparatus for moving drill pipe into and out of an oil well derrick. A stand of pipe is gripped by a strong back which is pivotally mounted to one end of a boom. The boom swings the strongback over the rotary table thereby vertically aligning the pipe stand with the drill string. When both adding pipe to and removing pipe from the drill string, all vertical movement of the pipe is accomplished by the elevator suspended from the traveling block.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,122, issued on Jan. 14, 1975 to L. C. Cernosek, describes an apparatus for transferring a tubular member, such as a pipe, from a storage area to an oil well drilling platform. The positioning apparatus includes a pipe positioner mounted on a platform for moving the pipe to a release position whereby the pipe can be released to be lowered to a submerged position. A load means is operably attached or associated with the platform and positioning means in order to move the pipe in a stored position to a transfer position in which the pipe is transferred to the positioner. The positioner includes a tower having pivotally mounted thereon a pipe track with a plurality of pipe clamp assemblies which are adapted to receive a pipe length. The pipe track is pivotally movable by hydraulic power means or gear means between a transfer position in which pipe is moved into the plurality of clamp assemblies and the release position in which the pipe is released for movement to a submerged position.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,986,619, issued on Oct. 19, 1976 to Woolslayer et al., shows a pipe handling apparatus for an oil well drilling derrick. In this apparatus, the inner end of the boom is pivotally supported on a horizontal axis in front of a well. A clamping means is pivotally connected to the outer end of the boom on an axis parallel to the horizontal axis at one end. The clamping means allows the free end of the drill pipe to swing across the boom as the outer end of the boom is raised or lowered. A line is connected at one end with the traveling block that raises and lowers the elevators and at the other end to the boom so as to pass around sheaves.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,172,684, issued on Oct. 30, 1979 to C. Jenkins, shows a floor level pipe handling apparatus which is mounted on the floor of an oil well derrick suitable structure. This apparatus includes a support that is rockable on an axis perpendicular to the centerline of a well being drilled. One end of an arm is pivotally mounted on the support on an axis transverse to the centerline of the well. The opposite end of the arm carries a pair of shoes having laterally opening pipe-receiving seats facing away from the arm. The free end of the arm can be swung toward and away from the well centerline and the arm support can be rocked to swing the arm laterally.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,666, issued on Sep. 13, 1983 to C. A. Willis, shows self-centering tongs and a transfer arm for a drilling apparatus. The clamps of the transfer arm are resiliently mounted to the transfer arm so as to provide limited axial movement of the clamps and thereby of a clamped down hole tubular. A pair of automatic, self-centering, hydraulic tongs is provided for making up and breaking out threaded connections of tubulars.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,407,629, issued on Oct. 4, 1983 to C. A. Willis, teaches a lifting apparatus for downhole tubulars. This lifting apparatus includes two rotatably mounted clamps which are rotatable between a side loading-position so as to facilitate the loading and unloading in the horizontal position, and a central position, in which a clamped tubular is aligned with the drilling axis when the boom is in the vertical position. An automatic hydraulic sequencing circuit is provided to automatically rotate the clamps into the side-loading position whenever the boom is pivoted with a down-hole tubular positioned in the clamp. In this position, the clamped tubular is aligned with a safety plate mounted on the boom to prevent a clamped tubular from slipping from the clamps.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,492,501, provides a platform positioning system for a drilling operation which includes a support structure and a transfer arm pivotally connected to the support structure to rotate about a first axis. This platform positioning system includes a platform which is pivotally connected to the support structure to rotate about a second axis, and rod which is mounted between the transfer arm and the platform. The position of the arm and platform axes and the length of the rod are selected such that the transfer arm automatically and progressively raises the platform to the raised position by means of the rod as the transfer arm moves to the raised position. The transfer arm automatically and progressively lowers the platform to the lowered position by means of the rod as the transfer arm moves to the lowered position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,595,066, issued on Jun. 17, 1986 to Nelmark et al., provides an apparatus for handling drill pipes and used in association with blast holes. This system allows a drill pipe to be more easily connected and disconnected to a drill string in a hole being drilled at an angle. A receptacle is formed at the lower end of the carrier that has hydraulically operated doors secured by a hydraulically operated lock. A gate near the upper end is pneumatically operated in response to the hydraulic operation of the receptacle lock.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,822,230, issued on Apr. 18, 1989 to P. Slettedal, teaches a pipe handling apparatus which is adapted for automated drilling operations. Drill pipes are manipulated between substantially horizontal and vertical positions. The apparatus is used with a top mounted drilling device which is rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis. The apparatus utilizes a strongback provided with clamps to hold and manipulate pipes. The strongback is rotatably connected to the same axis as the drilling device. The strongback moves up or down with the drilling device. A brace unit is attached to the strongback to be rotatable about a second axis.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,604, issued on May 30, 1989 to Brittain et al., provides a pipe moving apparatus and method for moving casing or pipe from a horizontal position adjacent a well to a vertical position over the wellbore. The machine includes a boom movable between a lowered position and a raised position by a hydraulic ram. A strongback grips the pipe and holds the same until the pipe is vertically positioned. Thereafter, a hydraulic ram on the strongback is actuated thereby lowering the pipe or casing onto the string suspended in the wellbore and the additional pipe or casing joint is threaded thereto.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,581, issued on Nov. 24, 1987 to H. L. Adair, provides a method for positioning a transfer arm for the movement of drill pipe. A drilling mast and a transfer arm is mounted at a first axis adjacent the mast to move between a lowered position near ground level and an upper position aligned with the mast. A reaction point anchor is fixed with respect to the drilling mast and spaced from the first axis. A fixed length link is pivotally mounted to the transfer arm at a second axis, spaced from the first axis, and a first single stage cylinder is pivotally mounted at one end to the distal end of the link and at the other end to the transfer arm. A second single stage hydraulic cylinder is pivotally mounted at one end to the distal end of the link and at the other end to the reaction point.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,414, issued on Jul. 26, 1988 to C. A. Willis, provides a drilling machine which includes a drilling superstructure skid which defines two spaced-apart parallel skid runners and a platform. The platform supports a drawworks mounted on a drawworks skid and a pipe boom is mounted on a pipe boom skid sized to fit between the skid runners of the drilling substructure skid. The drilling substructure skid supports four legs which, in turn, support a drilling platform on which is mounted a lower mast section. The pipe boom skid mounts a pipe boom as well as a boom linkage, a motor, and a hydraulic pump adapted to power the pipe boom linkage. Mechanical position locks hold the upper skid in relative position over the lower skid.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,454, issued on Oct. 17, 1995 to R. S. Sorokan, describes a pipe handling method which is used to move tubulars used from a horizontal position on a pipe rack adjacent the wellbore to a vertical position over the well center. This method utilizes bicep and forearm assemblies and a gripper head for attachment to the tubular. The path of the tubular being moved is close to the conventional path of the tubular utilizing known cable transfer techniques so as to allow access to the drill floor through the V-door of the drill rig. U.S. Pat. No. 6,220,807 describes apparatus for carrying out the method of U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,454.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,609,573, issued on Aug. 26, 2003 to H. W. F. Day, teaches a pipe handling system for an offshore structure. The pipe handling system transfers the pipes from a horizontal pipe rack adjacent to the drill floor to a vertical orientation in a set-back area of the drill floor where the drill string is made up for lowering downhole. The cantilevered drill floor is utilized with the pipe handling system so as to save platform space.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,705,414, issued on Mar. 16, 2004 to Simpson et al., describes a tubular transfer system for moving pipe between a substantial horizontal position on the catwalk and a substantially vertical position at the rig floor entry. Bundles of individual tubulars are moved to a process area where a stand make-up/break-out machine makes up the tubular stands. The bucking machine aligns and stabs the connections and makes up the connection to the correct torque. The tubular stand is then transferred from the machine to a stand storage area. A trolley is moved into position over the pick-up area to retrieve the stands. The stands are clamped to the trolley and the trolley is moved from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position at the rig floor entry. A vertical pipe-racking machine transfers the stands to the traveling equipment. The traveling equipment makes up the stand connection and the stand is run into the hole.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,779,614, issued on Aug. 24, 2004 to M. S. Oser, shows another system and method for transferring pipe. A pipe shuttle is used for moving a pipe joint into a first position and then lifting upwardly toward an upper second position.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/923,451, filed on Oct. 24, 2007 by the present inventor, discloses a pipe handling apparatus having a boom pivotally movable between a first position and a second position, a riser assembly pivotally connected to the boom, an arm pivotally connected at one end to the first portion of the riser assembly and extending outwardly therefrom, a gripper affixed to an opposite end of the arm suitable for gripping a diameter of the pipe, a link pivotally connected to the riser assembly and pivotable so as to move relative to the movement of the boom between the first and second positions, and a brace having a one end pivotally connected to the boom and an opposite end pivotally connected to the arm between the ends of the arm. The riser assembly has a first portion extending outwardly at an obtuse angle with respect to the second portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,398,833, issued on Jul. 15, 2008 to Ramey et al., discloses a tubular handling device that has slips, wherein the slips have an arcuate interface that has a longitudinally disposed slot and a ledge therein. An insert has a shoulder that is configured to fit within the ledge. The insert is capable of transferring a load from the shoulder to the ledge. The outer portion of the slips has a taper of greater than 11 degrees. A complementary bowl insert is provided with a matching taper. A method of handling tubular members on a drilling rig is also disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,557,641, issued on May 6, 2003 to Sipos et al., discloses a wellbore tubular handling system and method for holding and lowering tubulars, such as casing strings, at a rig site. The handling system utilizes interchangeable gripping modules for use with both the elevator slips and the spider. Because the gripping modules are completely interchangeable, only one additional gripping module is needed to provide redundancy at the well site so as to thereby reduce the equipment normally required. An elevator module receives the interchangeable gripping module therein. An interchangeable gripping module also is flushly mounted in many standard rotary tables. Alternatively a top mount spider module is provided to receive a gripping module for other rig floor and/or rotary table constructions. The gripping module has three inner support rings and slips between approximately one and two feet in length to permit load support while protecting any thin-walled casing that is used in the casing string.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,471,439, issued on Oct. 29, 2002 to Allamon et al., discloses slip assembly handling a drill pipe on a drilling rig that has slip segments assembled in a slip bowl. Each segment contains dies which grip the tubular member to prevent any axial displacement. The outer surface of the slip segment assembly is fully supported by the inner surface of the slip bowl such that no portion of the slip segment assembly extends below the bowl. The slip segments are of a forged steel material. Each die has a rounded bottom end with a tapered profile. Axial grooves are cut into each slip segment. The axial grooves have a rounded bottom.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,395, issued on Jul. 24, 2001 to Allamon et al., discloses slip assemblies for gripping drill pipe or other tubulars such that the load is distributed along the length of the dies of the slip segments. A load ring is positioned around the interior surface of each slip segment. Resilient members are positioned at the top surface of the uppermost die. Resilient members are positioned at the surface of the die that is positioned underneath the load ring.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,158,516, issued on Dec. 12, 2000 to Smith et al., discloses a method and apparatus for drilling, completion, working over, and controlling a well. The invention combines an integrated lifting unit and a coiled tubing unit. The method and apparatus permit running jointed pipe and coiled tubing in combination near the unit. The method and apparatus permit running standing multiple joints of pipe near the unit. The invention combines a hydraulic pipe hoisting system, pipe handling systems, and a pipe racking containment apparatus. A hydraulic workover jack is combined with a multifunction injector head and a standpipe for fluid circulation. The invention may also include a rotary table for rotating pipe and/or a rotating power swivel to allow fluid circulation during pipe rotation. Also included are a gin pole, a winching system for jointed pipe, and a traveling head with traveling slips and stationary slips to allow pipe movement in the well. Hydraulic systems allow insertion and extraction of tools in a work string. The apparatus includes a spoolable drill pipe that has a connector, multi-section reel with core, connection to reel for fluid circulation, reel drive mechanism and a pipe pulling capability. The method and apparatus do not require a derrick and can be derrickless.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,550, issued on Oct. 12, 1999 to Blandford et al., discloses a production platform that supports one or more decks above the water surface so as to accommodate equipment to process oil, gas, and water recovered from a subsea hydrocarbon formation. The platform is mounted on a single water surface-piercing column formed by one or more buoyancy tanks located below the water surface. The surface-piercing column includes a base structure that has three or more pontoons extending radially outwardly from the bottom of the surface piercing column. The production platform is secured to the seabed by one or more tendons per pontoon which are secured to the pontoons at one end and anchored to foundation piles embedded in the seabed at the other end. Installation of piles can be done without a derrick barge.
It is an object of the present invention to deliver to tubulars to and from a wellhead without the use of an oil and gas derrick.
It is another object of the present invention to hold an end of a tubular above the wellhead of the wellbore.
It is another object of the present invention to use multiple tubular handling apparatus to deliver tubulars to and from a tubular.
It is still another object of the present invention to prevent the sudden fall of a tubular into the depths of a wellbore.
It is another object of the present invention to deliver tubulars to and from a wellhead within a single degree of freedom so as to move the tubular without adjustments between the components of the tubular handling apparatus.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a derrickless system and method that may be transported on a skid or on a truck.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a derrickless system and method which allows for the self-centering of the tubular.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a derrickless system and method which may be utilized independent of the existing rig.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a derrickless system and method which avoids the use of multiple hydraulic cylinders and actuators.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a derrickless system and method which minimizes the amount of instrumentation and controls utilized for carrying out the tubular handling activities.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a derrickless system and method which allows for the tubular to be loaded beneath the lifting boom.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a derrickless system and method which is of minimal cost and easy to use.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a derrickless system and method which allows relatively unskilled workers to carry out the tubular handling activities.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.